Gültan Kışanak: Kurdish Co-Mayor of Diyarbakır, Imprisoned for Her Politics
- Sherko Sabir
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Who Is Gültan Kışanak?
Gültan Kışanak is a Kurdish Turkish politician born in 1961 who served as co-mayor of Diyarbakır from 2014 to 2016 — a period during which she led a significant cultural and political transformation of the city, including renaming streets, restoring Kurdish cultural institutions, and implementing progressive policies on gender equality and minority rights. She was removed from office by the Turkish government in 2016 and imprisoned on terrorism-related charges that human rights organisations described as politically motivated.
Her co-mayorship — with Fırat Anlı — was one of the most ambitious attempts to transform a major Kurdish city through democratic local governance. Diyarbakır under their leadership became a model of progressive urban governance that attracted international attention before the Turkish government's 2016 intervention ended the experiment.
Key Takeaways
• Born in 1961; co-mayor of Diyarbakır 2014-2016.
• Led cultural transformation of Diyarbakır — renaming streets, restoring Kurdish culture, gender equality policies.
• Removed and imprisoned by Turkish state in 2016.
• Symbol of Kurdish democratic local governance and its suppression.
Quick Facts
Table of Contents
Early Life
Born in 1961 in Elazığ in eastern Turkey. She became politically active in the Kurdish democratic movement and eventually rose to the co-mayorship of Diyarbakır — the cultural capital of northern Kurdistan.
Historical Context
Turkey's 2016 political crisis — including the attempted coup and subsequent state of emergency — provided the context for the government's removal of dozens of elected Kurdish mayors and their replacement with state-appointed trustees. Gültan Kışanak was one of the most prominent victims of this process.
Achievements
Co-Mayorship of Diyarbakır
Gültan Kışanak's co-mayorship of Diyarbakır (2014-2016) was one of the most ambitious experiments in progressive Kurdish urban governance in Turkey's history. Her leadership transformed the city culturally and politically — making it a model of the kind of governance that the Kurdish democratic movement aspired to implement.
Timeline
Debates
Her Kurdish identity and her mayoral work are established. The Turkish government's charges against her have been criticised by international human rights organisations.
Legacy
Gültan Kışanak is a symbol of Kurdish democratic local governance and its suppression — a mayor who transformed Diyarbakır through democratic means and was imprisoned for it. Her co-mayorship represents what the Kurdish democratic movement aspires to achieve; her imprisonment represents what the Turkish state does to prevent it.
Connections
FAQ
Who is Gültan Kışanak?
Gültan Kışanak (born 1961) is a Kurdish Turkish politician who served as co-mayor of Diyarbakır from 2014 to 2016. She transformed the city culturally and politically before being removed and imprisoned by the Turkish government.
Was Gültan Kışanak Kurdish?
Yes. She was from eastern Turkey and devoted her political career to Kurdish democratic governance.
References
Wikipedia contributors. 'Gültan Kışanak.' Wikipedia. Accessed 2025.
Comments